NHS Long Term Plan and Procurement

The UK published its National Health Service Long-Term Plan this week which has sparked both welcome remarks and feelings of apprehension. “Cutting waste across the NHS – We will continue to make sure we are using taxpayers’ money efficiently, including through introducing new digital techniques and making back office savings of more than £700 million across the NHS.” Many in the public procurement community are concerned that these back-office cuts will include procurement, cutting down on the resources it needs to add value to the organisation. Comments on Twitter include: “our work is definitely ‘front of house’ and we want to lead and not be in the back!” and “I think it’s time we stand up and be counted,” and “How can we support quality safety and value in procurement if teams cut to the bone.” The conversations continues and we’ll have more to report on that in the coming days. For now see the plan here